A 19-year-old committed another offence just 14 days after he was sentenced to jail for a car jacking (pictured above) in 2018.car

Crime

‘Nightmare’ teen’s terrifying crime spree slammed

by SHAYLA BULLOCH

6th Apr 2020 7:28 AM
premium_icon
Subscriber only

A teenage criminal labelled a "stereotypical menace" is the perfect example of why residents felt unsafe at home, the education department was terrified and resources were burdened, a Townsville magistrate claimed.

The explosive remarks made by magistrate Ross Mack at Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday came in response to a 19-year-old's car theft crime spree through North Queensland just two weeks after he was released on parole for carjacking an innocent mum.

It comes as fresh police data showed an 81 per cent increase in unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences over the last nine years at Townsville, with juveniles the most likely culprits.

In the last 12 months, 1082 unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences have been recorded in the Townsville District: a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.

Mr Mack told the court "no car was safe" from Tyrell Elwood James Watson, who was a "nightmare" to the community when he added to these statistics by taking cars in November last year.

The fresh charges, which included four unlawful use of a motor vehicle charges, stealing and obstructing a police officer, were committed just 14 days after Watson was sentenced to a 15-month jail term and released on parole.

The crash on Bundock St on October 30 2018 where Watson was taken into custody after a car-jacking.

The chase came to an end when a brave police officer jumped into the stolen car and tasered Watson and another offender.

A further nine months was tacked on to his sentence after he pleaded guilty at court on Thursday to all charges, but he would be eligible for parole next week despite Mr Mack saying Watson could not be "controlled".

"Your upbringing has been atrocious. You are the person that government agencies are afraid of as you have so little prospect," he said.

"You can't read, can't write, live life day to day in the hope there will be some excitement.

"Untold resources are expended on you and nothing changes … all this for a boy that's 19 years old. It's terrible."

Juveniles, aged 10 to 17 years old, were the largest car theft offenders with more than 2700 reported offences statewide in the 2018-29 annual crime statistics.

The report states police cautioned about the same amount of indigenous juvenile offenders as non-indigenous offenders, but arrested 1476 indigenous offenders compared to 916 non-indigenous kids on unlawful use charges.